Opioid Addiction Symptoms You May Be Ignoring

It is incredibly difficult to admit to yourself (let alone other people) that you are unable to control your relationship with opioids. This is even more difficult when the opioids you are abusing have been prescribed for you. How dangerous can something be if your doctor prescribes it to you? It hardly seems fair that a physician would put you in the position of dealing with a substance that can lead to such drama.

If you are struggling coming to terms with whether or not you have a full-blown opioid addiction, you may be ignoring symptoms. It isn’t uncommon for people to operate with a lot of denial about their addiction and you wouldn’t be the first person to do so.

If the symptoms below mirror those you are experiencing, it is time to get some help. Breaking an opioid addiction isn’t something you should try to do completely independently. You need help. Addictions.com would love to direct you to the resources and services that you need. Give us a call at 800-654-0987.

Addiction

Feelings of depression and low self-esteem are symptoms of opioid addiction.

Firstly, it is important to understand addiction. You can’t determine whether or not you are an addict until you know what qualifies as addiction.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is “chronic, relapsing brain disease.” It is recognized as the obsessive seeking of drugs, even when those drugs pose risks to your life and health. The reason that NIDA considers it a brain disease is because drugs actually change the make-up of the brain; they affect the brain’s structure and change how it works. Unfortunately, these changes are often lifelong and can cause both continued addiction and other equally harmful behaviors.

However, it is important to note there are many different beliefs about the causes of addition. This matters because the disagreements about cause mean that there isn’t one solution. When you seek treatment be sure to look into many options until you find the one that can work for you.

Signs of Addiction

As indicated above, addiction involves seeking out and using drugs even when the consequences are negative. In your case, you may be:

Obsessed with opioids and constantly think of them

Compulsively engaged in taking opioids over and over again

Frightened of experiencing withdrawal symptoms if you stop using opioids

Unable to control your behavior

In denial about the problems that using is causing

Hiding the behavior because people close to you have expressed concerns

Experiencing blackouts during periods of use

Experiencing depression

Feeling anxious/out of control

Struggling with low self-esteem

All of the above bulleted behaviors are considered common characteristics of addictive behaviors.

In the case of prescribed opioid dependence or addiction, the following behaviors may be present:

Stealing, forging or selling prescriptions

Taking larger doses than prescribed

Excessive changes in mood or hostility

Increase or decrease in your amounts of sleep

Unfortunate decision-making

Appearing to be high—unusually energetic or revved up—or sedated

Continually “losing” prescriptions, in order to have more prescriptions written

Seeking prescriptions from numerous doctors

If you are engaging in these behaviors, you need to speak with somebody. You might feel uncomfortable opening up to someone close to you, but a doctor would actually be the most help. You don’t need to go to friends or family immediately. Instead, speak with someone who is both objective and well-trained in addiction.

If you need help finding additions experts and seeking treatment, Addictions.com is an excellent place to start. Call us at 800-654-0987 and speak with someone right away.